It was mid-afternoon already but Jill E. Abramson ’76 was just grabbing lunch.

Today, a Harvard alumna takes over from Bill Keller as the executive editor of the nation’s arguably most prestigious daily newspaper.

During the '70-'71 academic year today's Harvard was beginning to emerge. Harvard broke ground on the Science Center, ROTC left campus, pets were banned in student dorms, and jocks mourned the loss of the physical training requirement. American college students were in the spotlight more than ever following the Kent State shootings and ratification of the 26th amendment, which extended voting rights to all 18-year-old citizens. Amidst the growing youth power movement, there was also worry that, among other concerns, motorcycles were driving young men crazy.

Although George A. Miller, professor of psychology, might have been misguided in his claim that computers don't threaten to dominate society, plenty of changes were occurring during the '61-'62 school year.

The news that the Class of 1961 would be the first class to be given English diplomas incited more than 2,000 students to crowd the steps of Widener Library.

At Harvard, Cold War curiosity was turned into a meaningful intellectual exchange with professors at the University of Leningrad. But the politics of the day stayed largely off the table, even in the classroom.

With lingering suppression of activism, the year 1961 signaled a relative lull in civil rights protest at Harvard, as black students felt integrated in the broader college community.

It’s no secret that Oscar Wilde often pushed the limits of Victorian decency. So much so that 120 years ago Wilde's only novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray," was edited to exclude material that might be deemed vulgar and objectionable especially to the innocent ears of Victorian women.

Tucked in a quiet corner between Winthrop and Kirkland, Eliot House might at first glance seem small (or perhaps just an extension of the Houses that flank it). Do not be mislead—Eliot offers a wealth of facilities, an exclusive spring formal, and prime real estate on the banks of the Charles River.

Although Boston is only a short T-ride away from the Square, most Harvard students rarely visit our neighbors across the River. While the Square offers an abundance of activities, there is still a whole world—or at least an easily accessible city—out there to explore.